
Leading anti-poverty charity, Trussell, launched Football vs Hunger – a campaign aimed at encouraging football clubs and fans to play their part in ending hunger in Scotland at this weekend’s St Johnstone match at McDiarmid Park in Perth.
During the 23/24 SPL and SPFL seasons, 211,609 emergency food parcels were distributed across Scotland – this includes 69,148 parcels provided for children facing hunger across the country. This is enough parcels to put one on every seat in Hampden Park four times over, with thousands of food parcels extra.

Clubs from throughout Scotland, have already joined Trussell’s Football vs Hunger campaign and have signed the Football vs Hunger charter.
This charter involves a number of commitments, including to call out and work to stamp out poverty chanting if it happens in the ground or from when the club’s fans are visiting opposition stadiums.
Hunger in Scotland isn’t a food problem – it’s an income problem. If everyone has enough money to for the essentials, we’ll end hunger for good. We know what needs to change to make this future possible, but we can only get there if everyone plays their part.
The clubs who have signed the charter are also encouraging fans to sign up to Trussell FC on the Trussell website to support the charge to end the need for food banks in Scotland.

Francis Smith, CEO of St Johnstone FC, said: “Football has a proud history of leading the way in shaping a better society, by uniting as one voice.
“Food banks are a lifeline for people facing hardship – but they’re not the solution. All of us at St Johnstone FC believe that everyone should have enough money to afford the essentials and that there shouldn’t be a single person in our community who has to experience hunger.
“Everyone at the club is so proud of how Saints fans already rally to support the local food bank. That’s why we want to encourage you to join football’s fight against hunger, and sign for Trussell FC – the only other team we’ll wholeheartedly encourage you to support.”

Football legend, Jeff Stelling, has thrown his support behind the campaign, saying: “Hunger in the UK was never an issue I expected to become so significant in 2025, but has become one of the most critical concerns in modern Britain.
“It’s just not right that so many people can’t afford to feed their families, and need to turn to food banks.
“That’s why I’m proud to support Football vs Hunger, and join the football community helping to end the need for food banks.”

Lori Hughes, Project manager at Perth and Kinross foodbank, said: “Football is made up of great rivalries, but one thing the football community can agree on is that we need to end hunger in the UK.
“Football vs Hunger is a rallying cry for everyone who loves the game to stand up for the people in their communities who can’t afford the essentials. So whatever colour shirt you wear, sign up to Trussell FC and join the football wide effort to end the need for food banks.”

Ellie Lambert, Head of Activations at Trussell, said: “Football clubs sit at the heart of almost every community in Scotland, that’s why we are delighted that so many clubs are choosing to show their support for our Football vs Hunger campaign.
“With hundreds of thousands of fans believing that there should be no place in a modern Britain for food banks, football can be a powerful voice for positive change.”
Fans who want to sign up to Trussell FC can visit: trussell.org.uk/football